Buckle



Nov. 30, 1937. A. P. .1. VOlGT ET AL 2,100,525

BUCKLE Original Filed March 29, 1932 I IQ- LIV. STILL Patented Nov. 3t), 1937 UNITED STATES BUCKLE Albert P. J. Voigt-and Lawrence M. Still, Galveston, Tcx., assignors to Galveston Buckle Company, a corporation 1 Original application March 29, 1932, Serial No. 601,738. Divided and this application July 27,

1936, Serial N0.-92,806

sciaimsi (01. 24-26) a This is a division of application Serial No.

601,738, filed March 29, 1932.

The invention relates to buckles which are particularly adapted for connecting ties or bands in confining cotton or other similar materials.

In forming bales of material, such as cotton, it is essential that the material be con-fined by suitable ties which can be quickly applied'and which will permanently confine the material even when it has been compressed under heavy pressure. In order to hold the material compressed under heavy pressures, as in the case of cotton baled for shipment to considerabledistances, it is necessary to have ties and buckles of great strength. With this in mind, the present invention has been concerned with a view of providing a buckle of great strength and which is suitable for holding the ends of the bale ties on high density bales.

It is an object of this invention to provide a buckle which is economical to make and which is strong.

Another object of the invention is the production of a safety buckle as distinguished from the usual and well known type of C buckle.

Another object is to provide a buckle that lends itself to automatic and continuous production from lengths of strip stock.

Still another object is the provision of a buckle in which the hook member extends laterally from the plane of the buckle and of which the central portion comprises a sharp bend to peripherally receive the adjacent tie-engaging member when strain is placed upon a tie placed thereon.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the drawing which illustrates the process of fabrication of the article and the article per se.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates the position of a section of wire rod in clamped position ready for the forming operation.

Fig. 2 shows the position of the dies at the end of the preliminary forming step.

Fig. 3 shows the preliminary step in the formation of the buckle hook.

Fig. 4 shows the final die operation in the formation of the hook.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7, respectively, show a plan view, side elevation and end view of the completed article.

In Fig. 1 the numeral I indicates a section of wire cut by any suitable means and ready for the preliminary forming operation. The next step after the wire has been cut is the gripping of the wire so that it may be bent. To accomplish this, a buckle forming die or support Zis provided. This die-is of such suitable configuration that when the wire i is wrapped thereabou-t a quadrangular-shaped openloop is provided. In order that such wrapping ofthe wire about the die 2 may be eifected it is necessary that'the wire be held securely in place on the die. This is effected through the instrumentality of a vise member 3 which clamp-s the rod against the die member 2. In View of the factthat excessive pressure will be necessary to thus holdthe wire a second member 6 is provided adjacent. thevise member 3 to prevent upward movement of the end ofthewirell A second die member-4 is-provided to wrap the wire about the die- 2. 'I'his'di'e member is suitably mounted, as is clearly shown in the application of which this is a division, toprovide the desired wrapping action.

Fig. 2 illustrates'the procedure in-the forming of the quadrangular-shaped open loop of the buckle. In that figure the die member 4 is shown to have passed, as indicated by the dotted arrows, about the die member 2, thus wrapping the wire I to the configuration there shown.

The next step in the formation of the buckle after the end has been wrapped to the position shown in Fig. 2 is the formation of a safety catch on the end 1. This operation is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein the end I is bent laterally to form the hook 9. The end of the wire must be supported in order to accomplish this bending movement and the buckle must be given its final set by moving the end 8 into proper position with respect to the side l0 and the end ll To accomplish this a hook-forming die I2 is provided.

This die is shown in cross section in Figs. 3 and 4 and is provided with a groove l3 on one side to engage the end 8 of the wire I. The preformed maintain the final positionso that the hook will have the proper set. To assist in maintaining this condition a support l6 may be provided for the die l2.

The downward movement of the die I5 will form only a portion of the safety hook. The next step to complete the hook is illustrated in Fig. 4 and comprises a further die member I! which moves in a horizontal direction to further bend the end I about the die l2, thus completing the hook portion of the buckle.

The surface l8 of the hook forming die is designed with such a configuration that it will form a more or less gradual curve in the wire at [9 and with a sharp bend at 20. The hook is so formed in order that the end 8 will move into the sharp bend at 20. The gradually curved portion IQ of the hook will not straighten under the tension placed thereon and hence opening of the hook will not occur. This gradually curved portion provides a, slightly opened hook that will, under all circumstances, effectively receive the end portion 8 of the bucklewhen strain is placed upon the tie engaging members l0, l and will guide said end portion 8 into the sharp bend 20 which is of such configuration as to receive said tact.

With the bend 20 positioned out of alinement with the end of II, but in the line of movement of the end 8, when strain is placed on side element Hi, the thrust on the side It! is absorbed by the bend 20 which is in direct alinement with that thrust. Other types of safety buckles have been devised heretofore wherein the center of the bend was in alinement with end H of the buckle but these were found unsatisfactory due to the fact that less gradual curving of the portion of the hook adjacent the throat thereof caused straightening of the hook when subjected to the stresses occurring in normal use thereof. Further, previously devised buckles do not permit ease in applying bale tieto members 10 and ID as with the buckle herein described. It is thus to be seen that a buckle has-been perfected that is strong and economical to make and which will effectively serve the purpose for end portion in'peripheral conwhich designed. While a specific embodiment thereof has been described, it is not desired to be limited thereby but only insofar as disclosed by the prior art and claims appended hereto.

What we claim as new is:

1. A bale tie buckle comprising a wire bent to a four-sided figure having two sides and two ends, a substantially right angle bend at one corner so that one end and one side lie in the same plane, a hook formed in the wire of said end, said hook extending in a; plane transversely of the side and end. a hump in said end to throw said hook out of the plane of said side and end,'a substantial right angle bend at a second corner to form the second end in substantially the same plane as said first side and end, and an acute angle bend in the wire at a third corner to' form a second side, the wire of said. second side extending across said first end side, a hook 'on said first side, a hump in said first side to position said hook laterally out of V the general plane of the buckle, an acute angle bend at the corner'joining said second end and second side, said second side being of a length to cross over said first end within said hook and adjacent said hump. s

3. A rectangular bale tie buckle comprising an end, a hump in said end, a hook on said end,

a side bent inwardly and laterally to cross said 

